On the morning of August 18, Venus and Jupiter had their closest encounter in 14 years. At mid-conjunction they were only 12 arc minutes apart, however, by the time the duo rose in North America, the planets had drifted away from each other slightly. Even so, they were separated by less than the width of a full Moon. The pair will remain near neighbours for the next week or so.
Jupiter and Saturn will start rising before midnight this month, while Mars and Venus start to spend more time in evening twilight.
What is the Lunar X? Learn more about this lunar phenomenon and when you can see it on the Moon.
Mercury is the planet to watch this month, as it wanes and treks away from the Sun, passing Venus and the Moon.
How to see the zodiacal light, interplanetary dust and debris that lights up when the Sun hits it just right
